Designed to Die
by JH-hollyberry
Summary: Percy Jackson remained on the other side of the doors, enveloped in darkness. This takes place five days after the events unfold, the opening beginning with a familiar face once again wiped free of his memory, awakening at a shore with no recollection to his past. How did he get here, and will he find his way home? All characters included.
1. Prologue

**Alright. I have WAY too many stories going on at once right now. But my jump drive is slowly but surely running out of room, becoming a cluttered mess, and I need to get these on here. Each story will be gradually updated over the months, so try not to fret.**

**The setting takes place five days after the end of the giant war, killing Gaea, and shutting the doors of death. The six, plus Nico, returned to Camp Half Blood. Witnessing a civil war between the Greeks and Romans. Already flooded with grief from Percy Jackson sacrificing himself to close the doors on the inside and remain in Tarturus, the seven demigods announce the death of their dear friend, causing panic and great depression in the hearts of both camps, and it was through this tragedy that brought the fight to its end, both camps having cared dearly for the Son of Poseidon.  
**

**I don't own anything. Rights go to Rick Riordan.**

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He looked down, seeing his reflection ripple as sand shifted beneath his feet. He could see his own creased dark brows pinched in a frown, obvious confusion written across a tan face that seemed to be his own.

Not that he knew. He had green eyes? Huh...good to know.

His name...couldn't be recalled in the empty void of his mind. It was bare, like someone had vacuumed out his thoughts and memories with a hose. In his gut, a sense of deja vu tugged on his conscience.

It was like grasping at air. The same overwhelming sense of loss that settled on his chest when he awoke on the beach just a mere few hours ago. A small weight was settled in his pocket, a soft breeze sifting through dark hair.

But a whisper on the wind seemed to catch in his ear, drowning out the crying seagulls and rushing waves of the sea.

_Jack...s...n_

It was lost in the air. He listened harder, only able to catch a faint hiss of an 'S' at the end.

So Jack? His name was Jack. Jack 'S' something. Apparently.

Begrudgingly, Jack shuffled his shoes in the white shore, feeling with his mind and gut, the tug of the water, the feel and shift of the sea's surface. Responding to its call, he lifted his arm, unsure of what his own actions were doing, until a tennis ball sized water bubble rose from the ocean and landed on his outstretched palm.

Once again, he felt his fingers shift with familiarity, rolling the water bubble like Playdo, dropping it back and forth between his hands, before letting it splat and sink to the pebbles before his feet.

Was that normal for most demigods?

...Demigod. He was a demigod.

But what did that mean?

Frustrated with the sheer lack of answers, Jack furiously kicked up sand, taking out the pen in his pocket and throwing it in his spite, letting a small _plunk _sound from where the tool sunk below the water's surface.

He stood for a moment, hesitating in the idea that he should fetch it. That was the one piece of evidence as to who he was, the only thing he could grasp and hold to hope that he actually _was _someone. That ballpoint pen was important.

But besides those thoughts, he turned his back to the ocean, his mind concurring a thought that didn't make any sense.

It'll be back. It always returns to him.

Shaking his head as he questioned his sanity, Jack walked on, his feet taking him aimlessly as his mind wondered and stretched, anything to fill his empty head, like he had a brain made of seaweed.

He stopped.

_Seaweed Brain? _

A flicker of an image, the color gray, like a fervent storm or raincloud. A dark pupil, like the eye of a hurricane, and the glint of sheer adoration, shining in the knowledge-filled shade of the orb.

But it drifted away before he could claim a relation to it, and he was left to continue his foot steps away.


	2. Chapter 1: Attracting Trouble

**Next scene will be either the two introduced characters point of view, or you'll see Annabeth's, and how shes grieving. Another conflict arises with the Romans that are temporarily staying at the Greek camp, but from the short but bloody battle that occurred, their is still some raw anger between the two nationalities that need to learn to** cooperate.** This one however is Perc...er...Jacks. Right. ;)**

**I don't own anything.**

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Attracting Trouble

Two hours had passed since he had began him aimless journey, and Jack decided that whoever he was, he must attract trouble often.

In those one hundred and twenty long minutes, he had run into one _dracanae_, three _telkhines,_ and two _hell-hounds_, whom for some strange sense of perplexity, he hesitated killing.

Through these encounters, he noted that the pen in his pocket did indeed return to him, as he found out on pure reflex, that it countered as a sword, Greek lettering etched into its hilt labeling his weapon _Riptide_.

The name brought a sense of comfort to him, one he longed to grab hold of in his state of mind, but didn't have time to try and sort out his absent past, for walking through an empty fielded park, a chaotic scene took place before his eyes.

A girl, who looked to be around fourteen, with long golden hair and warm brown eyes, stood side by side with a boy around sixteen, who had dark mousy brown hair and near bluish violet eyes. The boy held a bronze sword tightly in his hand, but as Jack's eyes roamed over his form, he could tell by pure intellect that the sword was much too heavy for him, the grip uncomfortable and unnaturally fit in his palm

Opposing the two teens were four creatures that had bodies of a panther, with wings and heads of an eagle. The most outputting feature were their eerie red glowing eyes. The eyes seemed to be narrowed directly at their targets, as the monsters circled like prowling wild cats.

A sudden recollection drifted through his mind, being lifted by large talons to the sky...a train...Alaska...

A yelp pulled Jack from his scrambled thoughts, and he watched as the boy tried his best to protect the girl, who seemed to be favoring her left arm. As one of the monsters make a sound that reminded him a cackling hyena, it drew closer to the surrounded teens, the boy thrusting out his weapon with mustered courage to ford the beast away with no luck.

Seeing the panic, the unknowing in there eyes sparked a sense of protectiveness inside Jack. Before he registered his own risk, he had already uncapped his pen and jogged toward the affray.

"Cass, stay behind me!" Jack heard the boy yell, once again stepping forward with his bronze sword poised to ward off the monsters. Each taunt of the black beasts with great wings seemed to become ever closer, ever braver to try their prey. They didn't have much time left before the group descended together.

'Cass' scowled as the boy pushed her behind him, using his own life like a shield. Stubbornly, she edged to his side, still clutching her wounded arm. "Zach, now is not the time to play macho-man. We're fighting together."

Jack ran faster as he saw that the two were distracted from their slight argument to not notice the monster behind them was arching its back in preparation to pounce.

"Look out!" He had just enough time to shout, as the beast's talons unsheathed, it's paws lifted from the ground. At the sudden voice, the two teens whipped around in utter shock, rolling to the side just as knife-like claws whisked passed their heads. Jack reached the chaos, and at that moment the entire flock seemed to give a signal to attack.

Sword raised, and a sharp _shink _was heard as one monster burst into gold dust, leaving a sharp cry to linger in the air before he turned to the next one and sliced it in half, leaving the other two to take flight and watch their prey target from above. On the corner of his eye, Jack made sure the two teens had made their ways away from the battle, instead they both stood gawking at the display that appeared before them.

"Go to that tree!" he yelled, taking his eyes of the...Gryphons. Yes that's what these were, Gryphons. He was impressed with himself for bothering to remember.

Seeming to snap out of their reverie, Cass and Zach gave brief, tired nods before turning their backs to the fight and distancing themselves from danger.

Jack turned back just in time to duck from the hard grip of the Gryphon, falling back and thrusting upwards as it swooped above him, ridding the third monster into another pile of gold dust. From this position he rolled backwards into a reflexive somersault, vaulting to his feet to face the last monster, only to see that the final of the pack squawked and flew away after seeing its flock dissipate.

Sighing in relief, he capped his sword and shoved it in his pocket, watching with piercing ocean eyes as the Gryphon turned into a single speck in the sky.

His eyes remained gazing upward, wracking with every effort he could muster to remember where he had seen and/or fought those creatures before. The location had been clear, the air fresh and untouched, wild and untamed.

"You...you just..."

With a jolt of surprise, Jack turned back to the boy and girl, having almost forgot they were there.

Their eyes were wide, stunned to silence. He shuffled his feet, feeling awkward from the stares.

After a long pause, Jack cleared his throat. "Ah, you guys alright?"

"..."

Silence.

"Er, did they hurt you?"

No answer.

Finding the stiffness in these teens, looking at him just as they had the Gryphons, was slowly beginning to irritate Jack. Crossing his arms and nodding his chin, he tilted his head in a curious manner. Were they afraid of him?

His answer came with a sword held shakily to his neck, the boy Zach setting his jaw with wide violet eyes, swirled with fear.

"Who are you?"


	3. Chapter 2: Traveling Truce

**Next chapter will be from Annabeth's Pov. Yay! Sorry, the chapters are so short, they should lengthen the further along I go. Also, the OC's will NOT be the main characters, they are just here to add to plot, and once everything falls into place, they'll still have a part, but not much.**

**I don't own anything.**

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**Traveling Truce**

After learning that a friend at the orphanage had goat legs, Cassidy was shocked to say the least.

After said friend explained tales of Greek and Roman Gods that still remained, she was sure she had gone crazy. And when told that she was indeed half-human half-god, it was like someone had injected her with a numbness to shock. She was positive nothing could ever catch her off guard again.

Yet as she stood with a wounded arm, her friend standing protectively in front of her, threatening an older teen who had just saved their lives, she found herself stock still to the scenes that played before her, once again.

The boy who had saved them looked to be around eighteen, with raven hair and bright pools of sea green eyes. His face had a natural olive tan, like he spent a lot of time at the beach, and his eyes showed genuine concern for their safety.

But despite all the nice things about this new character (as he was also quite pleasant to the eye), their was a sense of intimidation that came with the package of his presence.

The shirt he wore was tighter on his body, more than most, due to muscles that had so obviously been built in the last few years; the air around him seemed to gravitate, an aura that screamed danger, mischief...raw power, and to add icing to the cake, she had just watched him single-handedly defeat four monsters with relative ease, not a scratch to point.

Seeing Zach try so defiantly to threaten the guy, seemed rather foolish to her deep brown eyes. Ignoring the sharp pang in her arm, she used her still functional hand to grab his shoulder. "Zach, he just saved our lives," she prodded.

Her friend didn't spare her a glance, his voice flat, but tinged with troubled nerves. "I don't care. You heard what Vector the goa...er..._satyr _said_,_ we're not to trust _anyone_. I just want to know who the guy is."

Cassidy huffed, but turned with a puzzled expression to their rescuer. She too, was naturally curious as to just who might be standing in front of them. A sudden horrid thought came to mind; _what if he's a God and we're suppose to be bowing or something? What will he do?_

She wanted to hit herself for thinking so erratic. She had always been the level-headed one. The one to set Zach's stubborn ways straight, since when did she become such a paranoid sissy?

_'Oh yeah, when you got dragged into this ancient monster mess, that's when', _her mind argued bitterly.

Cassidy quickly shook off these thoughts to study the raven haired teen. He watched had watched their exchange of words with a furrowed brow, and now held his hands up in a surrendered gesture. "Whoa, dude. I'm not gonna hurt you...or her. I just wanted to make sure those things didn't harm you."

Those words only reminded her of the throbbing pain that pulsed in her arm, a long red gash swelling with red that was beginning to drip. The sight made her dizzy, for she had never been very good with blood.

"Zach, it's okay. We can trust him. Maybe he can even help us," she tried to assure. Either way, whether this boy was 'good' or 'bad', he had the obvious upper-hand of the situation.

Finally, after a tense moment, Zach lowered the sword, but continued to glower at the strange boy. "Fine."

With crossed agreements, the raven-haired teen put down his hands and seemed to begin studying us. Cassidy took the initiation to move forward, for she was beginning to tire of long introductions.

Stepping forward, she ignored her friend's warning glance. "Hey, I'm Cassidy, this uptight is Zach. You don't happen to be help sent from that camp Vector had been talking about, are you?"

Hope filled her voice. If this person could help them safely find the 'demigod' grounds, she would feel much more safe from the evident experience he was with a sword.

His response however, lacked in promise, "camp?"

It was then that she watched his green eyes strain with such intensity, she almost stepped back and gasped. This boy looked so...worn. Like something had taken his heart and tampered with everything in his life. Cassidy felt a rush of compassion as she softened her questioning gaze.

"Look, Zach and I are both demigods, and you're obviously one too. So how about us three just travel together? It might put monsters on our scent like Vector claimed it would, but you have some training...right?"

Cassidy ignored the hiss of protest Zach gave, and looked expectantly at the older teen in from of her. He seemed lost, confused. Like so many words were pressing against the inside of his skull, it physically hurt him.

"Uh, yeah sure. I don't know where else I would go, so...I'm Jack by the way."

Jack's eyes flickered warily to the weapon that Zach still held with a clutched grip, his eyes watching this new character with distrust.

A sigh escaped Cassidy's lips as she pushed a strand of brown hair behind her ear. This was going to be a long trip.


	4. Chapter 3: Gray Mournings

**Alright! This chapter is sorta depressing, and hopefully the narrating in this chapter doesn't bore you to death...but it was inevitable to get my picture across. Anyways, I hope you like the slight suspense in this chapter.  
**

**You should also know that this takes place the moment "Jack" wakes up previous to the prologue. You'll see why...**

**Next chapter will be in the point of view of either "Jack" (oh heck with it, we all know it's Percy), Zach, or Cassidy. You'll begin to know what the OC's God parents are in the coming chaps...so enjoy!**

**I don't own anything.**

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**Annabeth~**

The silence reigned over the once cheery camp like a dense fog, the grief overshadowing the land. Campers walked with slow shuffled steps, shoulders sagged. Many were wounded, the infirmary full with victims of blades and bows. Romans kept to there tents that were set among the hills, the Greeks harboring the main cabins.

Sounds rang over the dense silence, the mournful cries echoed through the woods, the ringing of sharpened weapons against rock; all proof of the battle that passed, now the survivors left to welter in pain and panic.

Three days had passed since the fateful battle between not only Gaea and her children, but also between the Roman and Greek's short feud before the prophecy demigods arrived. While victory was endgame for their side against the evil mother-earth, too much blood had been spilled, too many lost to celebrate with smiles and relief.

The strawberry fields didn't smell sweet, the taste of the food was bland to the tongue, and the feel of the sea breeze only brought bitter reminders of a lost hero. To add to the atmosphere, whispered cries, like a suffering lullaby, danced on the wind as the trees shook from the nymphs that harbored within.

Hardly anyone spoke, no Stoll twins up to their mischief, no fun spars between Clarisse and others, no blooming buds brought from Katie Gardner's finger tips...even the Aphrodite girls showed up to events without makeup, for any that was placed on their face was eventually smeared off in tears.

Lunch in the outside pavilion echoed with words unspoken.

While the sorrowful events unfolded through the once alive and proud lands, a cabin that smelled of the sea was occupied by a figure.

A lone figure with blonde curls and swelled gray eyes that shook from silent sobs, perched on a bunk with knees and arms curled close to her body.

Annabeth Chase.

No one knew what to do with her, how to approach her.

How could you mend someone so...broken?

Her eyes, wise stormy eyes, had seen her best friend, her boyfriend, in his finalizing strength, close the doors from Tarturus with an overpowering earthquake, trapping the essence of all monsters, titans, giants...and locking Gaea into another deep sleep, never to be heard for another millennium.

Having to endure all of this, just minutes before seeing the daylight again, having been trapped in Tarturus for many days and nights.

The horrors kept her awake, the tainted memories locked her in nightmares. Her brother Malcom had once tried shaking her awake during a nightmare, and ended with a large deep gash on his leg from Annabeth jumping awake with her knife gripped like a vice in her hand.

Ever since, no one had bothered her, figuring it would be better to leave her for a few days. The only one who dare appear to the fragile daughter of Athena was Chiron, who's warm caramel eyes had turned a dark shade of brown, sadness enveloping the iris so potently.

Clutched in one hand was a horn, the calloused edge rough to touch, in the other, she held a cloth, the feel of a long cinder like shape that she couldn't bare to look at. It only reminded her of the final moments before sea green eyes were locked behind the Doors of Death.

His eyes had held despair, a lost purpose to live. Tarturus had drained his limits, just as it had hers. It was in that moment, as he stood at the threshold of Tarturus, his eyes met hers, and she understood just exactly what he intended to do. Before she had a chance to run forward, to drag him away from the abyss, he capped Riptide and tossed it right in front of her feet.

The ground had quivered violently beneath her feet, and being still week from her trip through darkness, she fell easily, gingerly plucking his pen from the earth as she began to scream for him to stop, to stay alive, to come back and help her heal.

But the shaking continued, and by the time she stood with wet and red eyes, Riptide clutched in her sweaty palm and limbs shaking from disbelief and stress; Percy was gone.

And for that...she _hated _him.

He left her. He cowardly faced death instead of fighting to live. He _left _her. How dare he play hero when she needed him so badly?

_He. Left. Her._

And she missed him so badly, it physically hurt. The last few nights, having awoken from a dream in which he still lived, she hated the moment reality shattered into place, leaving her to run for the bathroom and dump the contents of her stomach, which happened to be lacking necessities.

So here she sat, clutching onto items that brought her any part of him, anything he had touched, _anything _to keep him here, even if her sanity was lost in the process.

She sat in the Poseidon cabin, not caring whether it was disrespectful to the Sea God, in-taking heavy shuddering breaths.

The worst part of her grief, was the childish and naive hope that he would return. Just as he had after Mt. St. Helens. Her boyfriend was powerful, seemed invincible, had literally _been indestructible_ at one time; it seemed impossible to her that he could actually be _gone._

Yet he was.

And another sob wracked her body.

Licking at her cracked wet lips, Annabeth finger-brushed the hairs that stuck to her face. "Annabeth, get a hold of yourself. Stop...crying!"

Any onlooker would have assumed her crazy for yelling at herself, but as close as she was to breaking, the daughter of Athena didn't care, for she knew she was alone.

Alone.

Biting her lips to lock the mournful cry that pleaded against her teeth, Annabeth shakily reached for the handkerchief that she had wrapped his pen/sword in.

Hesitantly, her fingers hovered over the material, mentally and emotionally stabilizing herself to retain from being swallowed into another fit of crying.

It seemed the minutes stretched long, before she finally willed herself to unravel the wrapping, narrowing her eyes in a wince as she was about to see the silver trimming of a familiar ballpoint pen.

…

Gray eyes popped open, her sob choking in her throat at the sight of empty air.

Nothing. Riptide was gone.

* * *

**Chiron~**

Chiron sat in his enchanted wheelchair, heaving sighs as he sifted through pointless papers and documents to entertain his mind from the internal struggle.

It was sadly ironic, how merely a year ago, he would have relished in the peace and quiet of the day, no longer bothered by the complaints and yells of the very active and mostly ADHD demigods that filled his role in life.

Now, he would give anything to quench the uneasy silence.

It was unnatural, so full of ruefulness was this type of quiet, that tension seemed to be inhaled further than oxygen.

His most troubling issue was of grief, and consuming concern for his surrogate daughter, whom seemed too shattered, like a mirror in particles of dust, to be put back together.

In fact, it looked to be near impossible.

But the wise old centaur did not lose hope. He had seen Annabeth overcome many things, and while they had not been as severe as the present conflict, he grasped at the possibility that her pride would pull her to her feet, get her moving until she was whole again.

Another sigh, shoulders sagged.

A heavy burden lay on his shoulders, a decision that will either lighten or resolutely destroy the remaining contents of a certain daughter of Athena's heart.

Should he show her, tell her what was found by Nico, Son of Hades, tucked away for the future? A future that a laden hero knew was unlikely, but let himself dream anyway. The Son of Poseidon, ever trying to be the optimist, no doubt held onto this object with hopes that it would one day come true, knowing that fate played him as a toy, and the next day could very well be his demise.

For sitting, tucked in tender care beneath papers of campers lost, documents of death that Chiron dreaded to sign, was a small box, specially made by request of Tyson's nimble fingers.

The box was engraved of trident, a large-eyed owl perched on its hilt, along the edges intricate architectural patterns of silver, green and blue, made from rare metals only found in the deepest trenches of the sea.

And placed neatly in the fold of velvet, a diamond ring gleamed.


	5. Chapter 4: Paralyzing Past

**I've been updating rather frequently lately, which I am very proud of may I just say. :) I hope you like how this is going, cause there really isn't going to be much action yet, until probably next chapter. Then, something is going to occur which will mess up a lot of the outcome of the trio's arrival. hehehe**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

**I don't own any rights.**

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**3rd Person POV (Kinda alternates between Cassidy and Jack/Percy)~**

"So let me get this straight...you don't remember...anything?"

Cassidy's voice lifted in bewilderment, her brown eyes taking interest to the mysterious figure hunched on the ground just parallel to the fire that blazed between them.

All three were perched on the ground, eyes trained to the embers that ate away at the gathered wood from the forest. It was nighttime now, the stars veiled by eerie gray clouds, the small bonfire creating shadows that stretched around them in the lightened circle.

Jack shrugged. "Pretty much. I just woke up on the beach with a sword in my pocket and a name that I think is mine. After some walking around, I just sorta came across you guys after dealing with my own set of monsters and here I am."

Zach, who had been stubbornly glaring at the new member since they met, softened his violet eyes to a genuine look. "Wow, dude that sucks."

The amnesia stricken teen nodded. "Yeah, but the weird thing is, I have a strange feeling, as though this has happened before. Maybe I have Alzheimer's or something."

Cassidy snorted. "That's unlikely. But whoever you are, its a good thing you came when you did. Thanks for helping me with my arm by the way," she gestured to the now taped gauze on her arm and sent him a warm sunshine smile. The trio had taken the time to walk to a consignment store to pick up the needed materials to help with her arm.

Jack returned the smile with a stiff one of his own. Smiling seemed strained on his face, as though he hadn't had a reason too for many months, and the feeling was foreign to his skin. "No problem."

It was then that he noticed the fourteen year old girls eyes, how dark brown they were, like fertilized soil; The fire igniting flecks of grass green to sparkle in her iris. He then turned to study Zach, a boy he was still didn't understand. The mop of brown hair was paired with a wide set jaw, and those strange violet eyes. He hadn't seen anything like them before...probably.

"Who is your guy's God parents?" The words blurted from his mouth before he could fully comprehend the meaning. Like a word-find highlighting the hidden vocab, certain words began to fall into place in his mind.

Demigod.

Gods.

Parent.

Mortal.

He was a son of a God...but his mother was...mortal?

The rush of realization had him both frustrated with the limited memory, yet intrigued with the outcome. He turned to his two companions, seeing that they didn't look fazed by his peculiar outburst.

They shared a glance with one another before turning back to him. "We don't know," Cassidy admitted. "The satyr that found us, our 'protector' as he called himself, told us we would know once we got to camp. But he guessed mine is Demeter."

Jack raised his brows, the arches disappearing behind his bangs. "Demeter? She's the Goddess of...agriculture right?"

"That's what Vector said. Which makes sense I guess..."

"She can make plants grow, its super cool," Zach interrupted with a Cheshire grin.

Cassidy rolled her eyes. "It's not _cool _Zach, its weird. The powers developed when I was around twelve years old, and haven't left since."

Jack cocked his head curiously. "Show me?" he asked kindly.

Cassidy shifted from her spot on the ground. Usually, she hated showing people what she could do, and had only showed Zach her abilities after learning he and her were in similar situations. Both orphans, both lonely, and both lost in a world of ancient Greek. After Vector having told her that it was normal for children of Demeter to have the same ability, she had become more relieved with herself, happy to hear she wasn't a freak of nature.

It also made it almost impossible to say no from the look Jack was giving her. How could any eighteen year old boy be so intimidating one moment, and when wanting something, suddenly deliver such an innocent and subconscious pout that pulled her heart to her throat?

Heaving a sigh of defeat, she grumbled, "fine."

Grins erupted across both of the boys' faces, and she took notice to how handsome both looked in the firelight. _Zach is really cute when he smiles...he should do it more often. _

Quickly she shook her head, clearing her throat to rid of the prodding thoughts, before she hovered her finger over the ground to her side.

With a snap of her fingers, and a will of her gut, two stems elongated from the ground, splitting the earth apart as they rose up into a bud, before blooming into soft white petals and pollen centered yellow heads.

She plucked one from the earth and turned back to her audience with a small smile.

"I've seen that multiple times, and it still amazes me." Zach complimented, nudging her with his hand to her shoulder. She swallowed a blush and mumbled a thanks, turning away from her friend to see Jack's impression.

The older teen smiled and sent her a wink, "that's cool Cassidy. What about you Zach?"

The violet-eyed boy huffed, his smile dropping into a frustrated frown. "Vector couldn't guess who my parent was. Both my mortal parents, who I thought were my real ones, died in a care crash when I was really young. The only hint I have as to what God or Goddess it could be, is that I can do weird...tricks...of sorts."

Jack once again tilted his head. Cassidy took note that with every bit of information they told, the raven-haired teen seemed to drink in the words, no doubt trying to fill his head with any knowledge he could, grasping at straws.

"Tricks? What do you mean?"

While she personally had seen them before, she too turned to Zach, nodding at him to go on and show Jack.

She watched as her best friend licked his lips and took a deep breath before holding out his palm. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a spark flew, followed by a slight glowing of particles that changed in luminescent colors in his hands, it filled the air with a crackling noise, like a buzzing electric wire, before sputtering out, letting the light die down and absorb into his skin.

Zach shook his hand. "See what I mean? Its like, I feel this sort of energy course through me, but I can't manipulate it well enough for it to physically do something."

"Hm," Jack scratched his cheek, his eyes narrowed in thought. "That's interesting. I don't think I've ever heard of anything like that before...I think."

Cassidy and Zach turned to look at their new friend with pity. The unsureness of his words was enough to show he was frustrated with the haunting of his amnesia.

The next few minutes rang on in an empty silence, with the flames beginning to recede into simple lumps of orange, gray and black ash. It was only broken when Jack made a grunting noise as he stood, his shadow growing across the grass.

"Alright. I'll take first watch. You two get some sleep, we'll make our way to...camp, in the morning. Heading for...New York, right?" he looked to Cassidy for a response.

She shrugged. "That's what Vector had said."

He nodded. "Alright then, New York it is."

Both members nodded, mumbling incoherent 'good-nights' as they laid themselves down on thin blankets they had also acquired from the store, shifting several times from the lumpy ground before being semi-comfortable.

Jack placed himself with his back to the dying fire, pen in hand as he sat nonchalantly staring out into the brisk darkness, weary of his surroundings. It was strange how tense he had become the darker it became, as an unsettling form of panic rose inside him at the sight of the lessening light. It brought a cold feeling to his gut, one that craved anything to get out of the dark, to find the sea, to find light, to find home.

If only he remembered where _home _was.

Swallowing the bile rising in his throat, he pinched his eyes shut for a brief moment before opening again to the world.

Still it was dark.

He huffed, running a hand through windblown hair irately, before tuning in to the soft whispers of his new found friends. They whispered to one another, no doubt bored and seeking a solace to lull one another to sleep with languid conversation.

"Can you stay still?"

That was Cassidy.

"Well this isn't exactly 'A' class comfortable."

An exasperated sigh. "Just try and get some sleep Zach."

"I would, but it's as dark as Tarturus out here."

Jack froze.

"Heh, I see Vectors strange speech patterns have rubbed off on you now. It's..." but her voice began to fade as Jack's mind felt like it was caving on itself.

That word, that_ name. _It chilled his bones from the inside, leaving him stock still and unable to move.

Like a phantom knife, a sharp pain ignited near his ribs, and he had to choke in a scream.

Blood.

Monsters.

Pain.

Screaming.

Torture.

Darkness.

Need to Escape.

Frantically, he clutched at his side, heaving in gulps of air as sweat began to accumulate on his skin. The shadows around him seemed to bend in shapes of fangs and hungry eyes, the image of someone falling, him catching them in his arms.

"_No!"_

His own cry had been hoarse, parched dry as bone.

Blonde curls stained with crimson liquid...gray eyes slipping shut...ground shaking...

Another scream, so coarse, so feral, it seemed unreal that it was his own; the sound ripped his throat apart, vocal chords shredding in anguish.

"JACK!"

Sea green eyes snapped open, his vision taking in the sight of the still dark surroundings, the dying ember, wide, concerned and fear ridden eyes of brown and violet. Cassidy and Zach had hopped to their feet, and were looking at him intently.

Eyelids fluttering, he brought himself into the real world, the present world. His body still shook from the sights, the horrors that had haunted his mind, yet now he could only recall the color red, and the same sharp edge of something peeling his skin.

"Jack, what...what happened?" Cassidy's voice shook, as she took tentative steps towards the older teen like approaching an untamed animal.

He blinked. "What?"

Zach stepped forward. "Dude...you were screaming and clutching at your side like a madman. We thought some invisible monster was attacking you or something."

Jack shook his head, rubbing the back of his hand across his slick forehead. Momentarily, he turned his back to the two in attempts to reclaim a calm demeanor. "I'm..." he gulped, "fine. I just...don't say that word."

"Don't say what?"

Whipping around, he growled imperiously, "_Tarturus!_" Both younger teens jolted back."Don't talk about, I don't want to hear it, think it...anything! Just...don't."

…

Silence filled the air between them, Zach and Cassidy sharing equally nervous and concern filled glances.

Cassidy opened her mouth to speak, determined to somehow comfort the absolute broken yet still defiantly intimidating stranger in front of her, but Jack beat her to it.

"I'm sorry guys." His voice was soft and quiet, regret seeping into his words, mixed with a sense of morose. "I don't know what came over me. I just...you can go to sleep now. I'll take the entire night, there is no way I'll be able to sleep anytime soon."

Before either could protest, he turned away from them once again, rubbing his chin and trying to shake off the feeling of terror that had claimed him.

Had it been a memory?

The images had slipped away, leaving the dull throbbing of panic to linger in its wake. The ghostly pain that protruded from his side, had it once occurred in the mystery that was his old life?

With robotic movements, he looked down, tentatively lifting the rim of his shirt and swallowing a gasp.

There were at least four or five very apparent white scars that marred tan and sculpted skin, only further burning questions about the enigma of his past.


End file.
